Avalanche
by vividfantasy7
Summary: "She'd recognize her dragon anywhere." (Princess by H. Dee)
Inspired by _Princess_ by H. Dee

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Once upon a time, there had been a war in her kingdom. Her parents, the Queen and the King, had fallen victim to a vicious attack on the palace when fire rained down the capital, alighting the city like it was day instead the night, the Moon shining like her sister - a bright orange reflecting the earth below- as if only a parade lit up joyously her surface. But the sound of the people were fearful - screams and cries and curses - begging for lives lost, for healing and miracles that didn't come. Many lost their lives.

Her sister assumed the throne but in-between the pressures of war and a corrupt and controlling council she sent the younger princess away - after all, she was but a child with no power behind her name and title yet enough ground for control over the new ruler. So the Queen placed her under the care of the Serpent, a powerful beast delving in the castle of the Dark Woods, in a far away kingdom detached of the wars of her home.

"I will come for you when the war is over and you can be safe at home," her sister promised as she was taken away to be under the care of a strange monster and separated from all she knew and loved. So she rebelled in the way she could - she'd been hostile and cold, keeping her distance and only glaring at the creature that stood guard of her new home, keeping her safe.

But her attitude could only keep her occupied for so long before boredom conquered and she went to discover the castle - her only restriction was the walls of the palace, but nothing inside - rampaging through old ballrooms and kitchens unused, every servant corridor and the highest towers for treasures hidden (she had always wanted to try an adventure like the ones found in her books).

She found the Grand Library a few months after her journeys started. The large interconnected rooms housed heavy mahogany bookshelves, desks and chairs littering the open spaces while emerald curtains guarded the windows. There was a painting of a family that she kept returning to - the parents' features faded by time, but the children's vibrant hair and eyes still alive with childish innocence - reminding her of her own family and the promise of her sister's return.

The books were old and untouched, layers of dust covering them as she made her way over the ancient tomes telling her the history of the land, of great battles and cursed royals, the adventures of heroes and magic. She soon found several texts describing spells and delved into them - magic was no stranger in her kingdom and she herself had been instructed before her departure - learning as much as she could.

The first time a spell went spectacularly awry leaving her under an avalanche of books the serpent appeared, worming his way under the tomes and helping her out from the piles. From then on, the beast was always near when she ventured to the library for her self-imposed magic lessons and later on showed her the armory and training grounds, serving as the make-shift enemy in her imaginary battles. (In her dreams she fought alongside her sister against the armies endangering her kingdom and people.)

Years went by and she grew to like the Serpent's castle as her home - just as she grew to think of the beast as her friend.

One night she was awoken to the smell of smoke, fire painting the night sky a gruesome scarlet. A man grabbed her from her soft sheets and dragged her away from her room - an amulet forced onto her wrist preventing her magic to manifest and fight. Her screams of protests only grew when her eyes had fallen on bloody emerald scales littering the floor and the unmoving form of her protector. She cried and fought until she managed to get free from the arms of the soldier, her feet carrying her to the serpent, her tears covering the creature before she had been dragged away from her one and only friend.

The Queen had enveloped the grieving girl in her arms. While happy to see her baby sister once again, the ruler had been furious at the _heroic_ prince presenting her sister like a trophy. Her ire only grew as she learnt of the way of the rescue and the fate of the girl's protector. They had returned to the Serpent's Castle but only found ashes and the ruins of the once magnificent palace. Her friend's remains were nowhere to be found.

The princess - because _that_ was what she had been reduced to now - hated her new life. She loved her sister dearly and the presence of the Queen once again in her life was the only thing making court life bearable. With years of being only herself and not a proper-cut princess, etiquette lessons (she despised those) as well as politics and economics had become daily routines - on the other hand, combat training and magic lessons had diminished.

The gardens became her saving grace, the flora and fauna calming her mind when the intrica of court became too much, when not even her new found friends (a few warm hearted princesses from nearby kingdoms who were their allies during the war) could quell her nerves and memories. She would abandon her slippers in favor of the feeling of grass between her toes and the earth caressing her feet, layers of her robes littering the flowery paths of her small adventures in search of butterflies and small furry animals (and okay, maybe a few neatly cut brushes thanks to a sharp sword or quick spell). Then her sister would arrive enveloping her in warm arms and thanking the heavens again and again to have her back - the princess would squeeze back just as strong, but her heart would forever mourn the loss of the home and the friend it had taken to see her family again.

Life went on as time went by and the princess slowly fell into her required role. She'd gotten used to the court life while she grew famous in the lands - her magic nearly as strong as the Queen's and her sword play better than most royal guards'. As she grew older many suitor had graced their land in hopes of courting her, vying for her affections or her title; kings, princes and nobles arrived in hope of getting her hand in marriage. They would kneel to the Queen and offer her treasures for the princess only to be sent away on fool's errands. But the princess was aware that even the ruler of the kingdom couldn't keep that up for too long - even if she wished to keep her only living family safe from the hands of the people that were so like the ones that caused so much devastation both to their kingdom and family.

One day a new knight arrived. He wore gleaming dark armour with green accents and a serpent crest, standing out like a sore thumb of the rich blues and azures of the throne room as he knelt before the princess, swearing his loyalty to _her_ \- no matter the outcome of his quest. The younger royalty's interest piqued she stood before the stranger, golden orbs falling on vibrant burgundy tresses as he removed his helmet, before the man looked up stealing her breath away as their eyes met. A smile stretching his lips he took her hand into his, bestowing a gentle kiss on it and she had to take a breath trying to calm her heart as a smile bloomed on her face in answer. Her heart beat a staccato as happiness like an avalanche filled her to the brim at the sight of an all too familiar fire in olive orbs.

She'd recognize her _beast_ anywhere.

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i love that poem tbh


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